


The Secret Life of Meredith Quill

by EmilliaGryphon



Series: Guardians of the Galaxy One Shots [11]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, gotg
Genre: Backstory, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Love, mothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 18:13:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12917466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilliaGryphon/pseuds/EmilliaGryphon
Summary: A friend of mine on Tumblr were talking about how James Gunn mentioned that the key to Rocket's origins is hidden somewhere in GOTGVol2. We both agreed he'd have to come from Earth somehow. Here's a little fic idea I had along that line. I don't think it's true but I thought the idea would be cool to write about.





	The Secret Life of Meredith Quill

The box that Peter’s grandparents had given him the last time he and the guardians had visited earth was unassuming. Medium in size and filled with his mother’s old things. Peter took a deep breath, preparing himself for the flood of mixed emotions he was about to feel. The box clicked and Peter peered inside. Photographs, a blue scrunchy, no more mix tapes to his disappointment but there were several empty record slips.

“I am Groot?” A gentle knock on the door. Peter hesitated, glancing at the private box for another moment but gave in. Groot was always a welcome presence.

“Yeah you can come in.” Peter decided. Rocket had, at Groot’s request, begun to teach the rest of the Guardian’s how to understand the Flora Colossus. It was tough going as of late but Peter hopped he was getting better. Groot stepped in, grinning as usual and sat down next to him, looking at the box quizzically. “It’s my mom’s” Peter explained, picking up small brown book.

“I am Groot?”

“Yeah, sure see for yourself.” Groot gently put his long fingers into the box, looking through the things. He picked up a plastic card, attached to a blue lanyard.

“I am Groot!” Groot looked at it and pointed.

“What?” Peter leaned over to see. What he saw written on the plastic card made his stomach drop.

Stark Industries  
Division of Life Sciences  
Quill, Meredith  
Senior Animal Behavior Analysis  
Project 89P.

“Groot….” Peter whispered after he could speak again. “Where’s Rocket?”

“I am Groot.” He nodded.

“Good, everyone else, team meeting. Now.”

No less than 20 minutes later Gamora, Drax, Peter and Groot sat around the Milano’s common area. Gamora opened the brown book Peter had also brought along upon realizing it was a journal.

“You sure you want me to read it?” She asked. Peter bit his lip, nodding. Gamora took a deep breath.

May 7th 1976 We are not supposed to name our animals but I can’t help it. I’ve decided to call my raccoon Natalie instead of Subject 89P1 She is so pretty. Perfect black circles around her dark eyes and her silver and ebony ringtail. She is clever and aware, a perfect host. She hisses every time I come near her cage but I can’t blame her.

“Skip,” Peter said. Gamora looked up, eyes hard but flipped ahead.

May 20th Natalie was artificially inseminated today. We hope she will get pregnant and we will be able to use her kits for the project.

Peter felt his stomach go in flip-flops but Gamora kept reading.

August 21st Natalie had her kits. There were three total but 89P11 died a few hours after birth. I suspect its birth defects were from the tests Natalie prior to insemination. 89P12 survived for a week but could not handle the procedures. Only 89P13 is left. We had to euthanize Natalie, she was too protective of it and attacked a technician’s face.

There was only one line in the following entry.

December 4 89P13 finally spoke it’s first word today: "Stop."

Gamora’s voice shook. Peter swallowed, hard.

“I…I knew she worked for Stark industries but she said she was a secretary.”

“So you did not know?’ Drax asked, speaking for the first time they gathered around.” Peter shook his head.

“N…no. She…she wouldn’t do this!” He cried in frustration. “We never got any pets because she said she didn’t want to get attached to them….” A million thoughts ran through his head, none of them pleasant.

February, 89P13 is showing progress. It has acquired full linguistic capacity after the word identification and shock test. It has also mastered weaponry though it took several weeks in the neuro chamber and another round of implants to get its limbs functioning correctly. Ortho is going to have a fit if we had to rearrange its skeleton again.

“Should I…?” Gamora asked slowly. Peter nodded. He had to know. No matter how bad it was.

April 17 I don’t know how much longer I can do this job. 89P13 did not shout at me today, it is too ill from the adverse effects of the training. Medical refuses to treat it anymore unless it is on the verge of…. expiring. But it watched me as I left today. Its eyes are an unsettling red, glossy and feverish. It reached out a paw to me and tried to speak. It said only two words" "Help. Please." But I did not take its paw I couldn’t. besides the headaches of mine are getting worse.

This project was about creating enhanced animals for military operations, not torture. We have tortured 89P13 the way we tortured its mother. Why has it taken me this long to see? Too little too late but I can’t do this anymore. I will turn in my badge tomorrow.

“That’s the last entry,” Gamora breathed. They sat in silence for several agonizing minutes.

“You must tell him,” Drax decided. “Our furry friend will want to know why he was brutalized so badly. It is too bad your own mother was behind it. That makes you responsible, in a way.” Peter curled his fist,

“It does not! I had no idea! I can’t tell him! It’ll ruin him!”

“Can’t tell me what Star-Nuts?” Peter froze, turning slowly. Groot, Gamora and Drax faced Rocket who wiped his fuel stained paws on his suit. Peter slowly reached for the diary and the badge, handing it to Rocket with trembling hands.

“Just….know that…I…I had no idea okay? I would’ve told you if I did dude. I promise.” Rocket frowned,

“Your all acting really weird. Pshhh,” he shrugged, opening the journal. Everything inside Peter told him to run, run before Rocket got the idea and pulled a gun on him. But the enhanced raccoon did no such thing. They watched as he read, breathing shakily. He bit his lip, tail twitching. After an eternity, it was Groot who broke the silence.

“I am Groot…” he said gently. Rocket looked up for the first time since opening it. The book and I.D. card falling to the floor. The creature looked at the floor, sucking in a shaky breath before turning to Peter.

He whispered hoarsely. “Your ma….she had blonde-ish hair.” Peter nodded, never feeling more ashamed.

“THAT BITCH” Rocket reached for his gun, aiming it at Peter. Groot dove between them, arms outspread. “Groot move!”

“I am Groot!”

“I mean it!” Rocket shouted, clicking his gun.

“I am Groot,” Groot placated until Rocket relented. Without another word he turned on his feet and stalked from the room, Peter watching him as he went. There was no sign of Rocket for three days, not even the clanking of bottles or sound of explosions. Not even Groot gave Peter any updates.

Finally Peter decided it was time. He’d apologize of course, for the actions of his mother but he wouldn’t have Rocket calling her any names. He still believed his mother was good, she had to be otherwise she wouldn’t have left Stark Industries. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the metal doors. Muffled shouts, glass crashing. He slid the door open, ready to dodge bullet or bottle, but Rocket did not move, his back was to Peter.

“Rocket,” the human crept closer, sniffing at the sharp smell of booze.

“I...I had a mother,” Somehow this reaction was worse than anything Peter expected. He sat down on the floor next to Rocket who crunched another can of booze against his forehead and let it fall to the ground.

“I’m so…sorry”

“Natalie,...stupid humie name….” Rocket whispered, voice breaking. But...I had a mother….” Peter nodded.

“You know how it said…they…they had to euthanize her…?” Rocket only licked his paws. “She was protecting you Rocket. Like all good mom’s. I think….” He couldn’t believe he was saying this, “I know my mom would’ve done anything to protect me and well….your mom sounds like she loved you very much. Enough to die for you, to die protecting you. She loved you Rocket, in her own…raccoon kinda way.” Rocket nodded.

“I’m so sorry for what my mother did to yours, and what she did to you. I’m not asking you to forgive her…”

“Good.” Rocket snapped.

“I just want you to know that....I’m sorry for what they did to you and…and I know that if my mother was here right now she’d…she’d do anything she could to help you.” At that Rocket turned to him, eyes firey, ears pinned against his skull.

“I don’t need help Star-Freak!”

“Rocket….” The enhanced raccoon seemed to deflate a little. He turned away again, staring straight ahead.

“Your ma lied in that book.” He said softly. “She did take my hand that day….I was so, so fucked up from what they did I can hardly remember it but…she took my hand…and do you know what she put in it?” Peter shook his head. A smile escaped the raccoonoid, “a slip of paper, with the key code to my cell and the security override system.” Peter felt himself laugh. “I’m sorry I called your ma a bitch.” Peter picked up a can of booze and cracked it open.

“A toast, to mothers.” Rocket reached for a bottle and clinked it against Peter’s,

“To mothers.”


End file.
